Dualism of Shadow
by Kairetsu
Summary: A man let loose a mighty demon by accident. Now, he must deal with consequences as the demon proceeded to use his body as a host. A circumstance that might begin his start of darkness. The turning point that tested his moral standpoint as he struggled with decisions that affected not only himself. But the rest of the world.
1. Chapter 1

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Chapter 1

Curse of the Shadow Prison

( **A/N:** Welcome to my new Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfiction. This fic will be set in 5D's universe, during unspecified future timeline after the end of anime. The story will focus on original characters and dueling. No canon characters will appear in the story.

For dueling part, I will use the latest OCG rules (Master Rules 4, to be precise) including the usage of Extra Monster Zone and Link Summoning. Also, everyone will obey OCG April 2018 banlist.

I hope you enjoy this fic as much as I enjoy writing it. Happy reading!)

* * *

 _'Do not dig too deep. Lest you dig yourself into a hole.'_

 _It was one of those unwritten rules in excavation. Do only what you came for. Don't be greedy. Always dig responsibly. Follow the safety procedures. Stay out of trouble. And finally, do not stick your nose in the wrong place._

 _I realized, in hindsight, that those manuals lost their practicality the moment you dug too deep._

 _There was famous saying about how curiosity killed the cat. They said inquisitive mind would get you into trouble. It was the only proverb that never sank into my mind._

 _Because, you see… curiosity had always been my compass. It was always in the front seat of my being. And I even considered it a virtuous trait._

 _…And then, everything suddenly shifted when that happened._

 _I accidentally put myself into the pit with no return trip. I couldn't climb back up. And I couldn't return._

 _I did the only thing I could do._

 _I continued digging to absolute rock bottom._

* * *

"What do you think you're doing!"

Clay was busy collecting dirt sample on the ground with his trowel. He adjusted his headlamp before placing the sample carefully into special compartment of his rucksack. The lack of natural lighting in the area made things difficult for him to do his usual archaeological routine with ease.

"According to the data…" Clay glanced at his notebook before facing his companion, who was occupied with special hi tech camcorder in his hand. "This cave was estimated to form as early as Mesozoic era. I should be able to confirm this using radiocarbon dating in the lab."

Jake was furious. As if he was not annoyed enough since the beginning of the trip. Who in the right mind would think trespassing on foreign land in the middle of the night to be such a good idea! Not that this sort of behavior surprised Jake anymore. They had known each other since the time they enrolled together in Duel Academy. Clay was always obsessed with ancient artifact and prehistory crap. Something that Jake could never hope to understand.

"That was not the point Mr. Dirt-Fetish-Archaeology-Dude!" Jake retorted. "Did you even realize that you just did illegal excavation without official permit? You said you just wanted to look around!"

Clay resumed his advance further into the cave, ignoring the yelling from his companion. He stopped soon after in front of peculiar wall. It contained a distinct cave painting that looked familiar. He traced the surface lightly with his finger before gesturing to Jake to come closer.

"Here, take a look at this," said Clay.

"Huh? What of it?" Jake walked carefully, making sure that he kept good angle with his video recording. "Let's see… It looks like the image of female deity and… a demon?"

"You mentioned in your documentary about the local tribe…" Clay briefly checked his note. "The _Ogirun Gaea_ … that they might be involved in some form of paganism. Is that correct?"

"Clay…" Jake seemed conflicted. "That was just a filler… I-I mean, don't blame me! Those Ogirun tribe had 'zero cooperation' policy to outsiders. They kept their lips sealed and their eyes closed. No interview at all. Not even a word of background information!" Jake ranted.

Clay wondered if Ogirun tribe were xenophobic in nature or perhaps there was something else going on beneath the surface. He looked again closely at the painting. It was hard to estimate the age properly. It could be something really old or something recent.

"Still…" Clay still somewhat lost in thought. "Even if what you said were pure assumption… it's possible there might be some truth to it." He examined the painting again. "Do you think this painting was made recently?"

"Hey, don't ask me! I am just a journalist. Isn't this your expertise?" Jake seemed offended. "For all I knew, those Ogirun folks chose to live with minimum modern technology. And there were many myths and folklore surrounding them, which is why I was assigned with that documentary project in the first place."

Clay continued walking deeper while Jake followed behind. Clay felt his curiosity grew bigger as he explored further into the cave. According to his research, Ogirun Gaea considered this place sacred and spiritual. He suspected that they held some kind of spiritual activity in this place. Whatever it was, Clay was certainly eager to know. At the very least, this would make a good publication material.

"Do you know the name of this cave?" Jake said playfully. "It's called _Deus Ghisk_. Literally mean 'death' and 'ritual'. I hope you are not getting scared by now, Clay. Because if you are, the exit is _that_ way. You never know how much 'playtime' we actually have before they arrive and execute us on the spot. I still prefer my head where it was, _thanks_." Jake smirked.

Clay ignored the sarcastic comment. "I still need to find something more… substantial. Also, there is something I need to confirm."

Jake sighed. _You never change, Clay._

* * *

Clay encountered more cave paintings the further he explored Deus Ghisk cave. He also found plenty of unusual statues along the way. They either were woman statue or demon statue. Clay wondered if Ogirun myths had something to do with these two entities.

After what seemed like a really long walk, both of them ended up in some sort of miniature chamber. The wall was oddly decorated. Clay noticed a well-placed altar at the center with few unlit candles on top of it. There were also more statues placed at each corner of the room.

"It's a dead end." Jake sounded relieved. "Just give it up, Clay. There's nothing here."

Clay examined the altar closely. There was faint smell of burnt sage. He readjusted his headlamp to get a better view. The candles didn't look very old or dusty. Clay made assumption that someone came to this place recently.

 _Perhaps Ogirun Gaea did some prayer or ritual in this room._ Clay thought. He glanced around the room. His mind was still occupied with questions. _Is this all there is to it? This cave is pretty deep. Why would someone go this far just to light few candles?_

"What were you looking for anyway? Is this not _substantial_ enough for you?" said Jake who was busy recording the area. "Even I could easily make up catchy headline with this. Let's see..." Jake purposely deepen his voice. "Ahem, _Groundbreaking Discovery by Mr. Clay Dustyn, Mysterious Ancient Civilization Found Beneath Uncharted Land._ "

Clay still felt something was missing. He didn't feel the satisfaction he usually got after finishing any excavation. He still thought that there was more to it than met the eye. Like there was missing puzzle piece still hidden somewhere.

"The thing is…" Clay struggled to find the proper words. "I'm not really sure myself. It's just that-"

 ** _To the left…_**

 _What?_ Clay suddenly heard unfamiliar voice. It sounded like a distant whisper, yet it pierced so deep into his sensory. It almost felt like the voice was coming from inside his head.

Clay looked around for the source. "Did you hear that?"

Jake was puzzled. "Hear what? What are you talking about?"

 ** _The passage… to the left…_**

The same voice echoed again. This time, it sounded like a desperate plea. A cry of pain. Clay was unsure if what he heard was real or not. "No, I think there was-"

The voice repeated again with more urgency. Clay was bombarded with foreign emotion, like someone was hijacking his mental space. He felt extreme discomfort and headache.

"Hey… are you okay?" Jake looked concerned.

 ** _Come…_**

Clay shifted his attention to the wall beside him. _To the left? Passage? What does it mean?_ All he saw were uninteresting wall and few statues. He tried to check the wall closely. Nothing seemed out of ordinary. He attempted to pound on the wall. No reaction. Then he tried pushing and kicking it. Still no luck.

"Okay, you lost me." Jake said irritated. "First, you said you heard stuff. Now, you punch the wall like a mad man. What's eating you!"

"Something behind this wall. I think…"

"You… think?" Jake approached the wall and examined it. "You think this wall is door in disguise? Well, I _think_ you are pushing your luck, Clay. Beside…"

Jake checked the wall carefully. He seemed to ponder over something. "Aren't you… supposed to move the door sideways instead of forward?" He gestured toward particular spot on the wall that suspiciously looked like a handle.

"Good point." Clay grabbed the handle and exerted some physical force to the side. The heavy wall moved slowly, revealing small hidden passage behind it.

Unlike the rest of the cave, this new area was brightly lit. Clay could see long staircase and multiple lanterns hanging on the side walls. The existence of light source pretty much confirmed his assumption that someone indeed came to this place recently.

"Okay, this is getting creepy," said Jake.

"Let's go." Clay turned off his headlamp because he didn't need it anymore. "I believe this would be substantial enough for my taste."

* * *

Clay and Jake climbed down the long staircase carefully. Clay noticed significant details were put into the architecture. The decorations and ornaments on the wall felt so distinct. The design looked very different compared to other cultural arts that he had seen before. Perhaps Ogirun tribe established independent culture, never assimilated cultural influence from outside.

Either way, Clay was more than eager to research this subject in full details, until no question left unanswered.

What lay at the end of stairway was astonishing. It was a giant hall surrounded with lot of lanterns. Clay suspected the floor tiles were made of natural stones, which he couldn't really recognize at this point. The strange pattern on the floor made the atmosphere chilly.

"I have to admit. This place isn't so bad." Jake proceeded to record the surrounding with his camcorder. "It's certainly a news worthy finding, prehistoric or not."

Clay's attention immediately focused on certain object at the far end of the hall. It was ominous giant spherical black matter, restricted by multiple chains in interesting symmetrical position. There was something that looked like small gold emblem at the center. Not to mention a pair of horns sticking out from inside the black object.

The total obscurity of the object intrigued Clay. And yet at the same time, it terrified him. He contemplated whether approaching the object would be a reasonable thing to do… or not.

 ** _Hurry…_**

Another voice. This time, the voice seemed coming from the object, beckoning Clay to advance. He felt sudden urge to approach the object. He tentatively took a step forward and—

"Stop that at once!"

A thick shadow aura emerged in front of the black matter. The cluster of shadow dispersed, revealing a hooded figure wearing an attire that Clay thought as oversized white robe. The person held a short wand with his left hand. He gave Clay a stern glare, the kind of glare filled with intense hostility.

"Leave!" said the mysterious figure. "We don't take kindly to intruders."

"For real!?" Jake said. "Did he just manifest out of nowhere? Don't tell me those myths about Ogirun spellcasting were true!"

"I am Guardian Phantom of Deus Ghisk. Those who insist on trespassing the scared ground shall be punished." The man pointed his wand at Clay. "Leave at once. Or face the consequences."

Clay unconsciously took a step back. The glare that he received was very unnerving. But, he didn't think pulling back now was reasonable option. He had come this far. And he still had questions to be answered.

"I refuse." Clay said bluntly. "So, you mentioned you were a Phantom. Why are you guarding this place? What's the purpose of this structure? And why does Ogirun tribe have access to magic?"

"None of your concern, mortal. I have no obligation to inform intruder."

Jake started to panic. "Clay, I don't think you shouldn't provoke—"

"Fear not. That man… he is not real." Clay said calmly. "I read it from ancient manuscript. A Phantom… an illusion personified, strong manifestation of magic, granted specific form and will." Clay looked back at Phantom. "And to think Ogirun tribe could do this…"

"I may not be real." The Phantom took few steps forward. A devilish grin was formed on his face. "Rest assured… I still get the job done."

The Phantom chanted some unknown incantation. The air in the area started to become dense. A strange glyph appeared on the floor, glowing with bright light. A huge magic circle then formed, encircling both Phantom and Clay in cage-like fashion.

 _What the!? Another magic?_ Clay quickly observed his surrounding. No matter how many times he looked at it, he was pretty much trapped.

"We, Ogirun Gaea are not keen on bloodshed…" The Phantom made an eerie gesture with his wand. "Instead, we prefer something more… 'arcane' and 'esoteric' to deal with the likes of you."

Clay didn't like implication behind those words. He felt slight goosebumps on his feet. He briefly looked behind and saw Jake stood far away, conflicted about what to do.

"I shall grant you one last chance." The Phantom smirked. "Leave now. Go back to your old peaceful life." He then proceeded to lower his voice. "Or face the trial with your very soul on the line."

 _Trial? What trial?_ Clay was overwhelmed with survival urge to stay alive. At the same time, his growing curiosity started to take hold over him. He wanted to know about the secret of Ogirun Gaea. He wanted to understand why they insisted on guarding this place, to the point of using Phantom as guardian. And he still needed to expose the truth of Ogirun magic.

"I beg you just this once, Clay." Jake said with serious look on his face. "Do _not_ do the thing I think you're going to do."

 ** _Duel…_**

Clay sensed the voice again. He suddenly remembered another question that occupied his mind. That black matter and the strange voice beckoning him. _Duel? What do you mean? Could it be that the trial… Duel Monsters?_

 ** _Banish the shadow… Shadow Duel…_**

 _Shadow Duel?_ Clay tried recollecting his memory. He felt certain that he read about this during his archaeological study. _Shadow Duel… myth of ancient folks… the era when Duel Monsters was actual spell battle practiced by sorcerers… and the losers paid the price with their lives._

Clay thought about what the Phantom said before. _'Or face the trial with your very soul on the line.'_

 _The trial… my soul… Shadow Duel…_

 _In that case… I still have a chance._

Clay took a deep breath. He looked behind and gave his companion a reassuring smile before saying something that might be his last will.

"Forgive me," said Clay.

Jake stared in disbelief when Clay proceeded to drop his rucksack on the floor, followed by taking out a Duel Disk from inside the bag. Clay then attached the Duel Disk on his left arm before inserting his own deck into the device.

"Hmph, imbecile." The Phantom laughed. "You realized Shadow Duel was waiting, yet you still dare to challenge me? Very well, I shall reward you… with eternal darkness."

The Phantom murmured a quick incantation. The short wand in his left hand transformed into a sinister-looking Duel Disk. Thick dark aura was emanating from his deck. "Get ready for the battle of your life."

"Clay, y-you bastard! I hate you!" Jake felt betrayed. He was _not_ happy at all with current situation. "Why are you doing this? You could just back off peacefully, but this is what you do? If anything happens, I refuse going to your funeral, you hear me! See if I care!"

"Fear not. I don't intend to have my funeral yet." Clay gave Phantom his own version of glare. "Beside, I still have something I need to confirm."

The Phantom pressed the auto-shuffle button. He flashed a menacing smile. "Well, shall we begin?"

Clay responded by activating the auto-shuffle function. Both of them drew five cards.

"Duel!"

 **[Clay: 8000] - Vs - [Phantom: 8000]**

"I don't like going first," said Phantom. "Waiting for my first Battle Phase is not my style…" He then switched to low monotone speech. "I'd rather rip my opponent to shreds at the first chance I get."

"I suppose you were talking about metaphor there. Talk about ironic. Because I only smell empty threat here." Clay replied, trying to imitate Jake's usual snarky remark.

Phantom glared back at Clay.

Clay looked at the five cards in his hand. _Legendary Jujitsu Master… Exxod, Master of The Guard… D2 Shield… Doki Doki… Morphing Jar…_

 _I suppose there is only one way here._ Clay took two cards from his hand. "I set a monster and facedown card." A horizontal monster card appeared, followed by a reverse card behind it. "That is all."

"How impressive." Phantom said sarcastically. He drew a card from his deck. "Let me show you something more… entertaining." He swiftly insert a card into the Disk. "A continuous spell, Call of the Mummy."

 _Zombie deck?_ Clay felt slightly anxious.

"And I'm using it right away." Phantom continued. "Once per turn, as long as my field is empty, I can special summon a Zombie-type monster from my hand." He took another card from his hand. "Come forth, Red Ogre!"

A huge menacing ogre materialized on Phantom's side of the field. The ogre had a pair of black horns on its head. It carried a large spiked bat that looked intimidating. (2800/2100/*7)

"Don't forget…" Phantom took one more card. "I still have my normal summon here. I summon Wightprincess!"

The so called 'princess' was nothing like usual princess you'd expect in royalty or fairy tale setting. It was actually a living skeleton dressed in a gown. The monster let out a maniacal chuckle. (1600/0/*3)

Jake was recording the duel from distance. _He summoned two monsters in single turn. Watch out, Clay. You're dealing with aggressive duelist here._

"Wightprincess had special effect." Phantom explained. "Each time I summon her, I can send Wrightprince directly from my deck to the graveyard." A single card was ejected from his deck. He immediately put the card into the discard slot. "That's not all. Wightprince also allows me to bury Skull Servant and Lady in Wight together with him." He sent two more cards to his graveyard.

Clay observed the situation. _He seems keen on filling his graveyard. The bad news is… he already succeeded. I don't like where this is going._

Phantom pointed at Clay's concealed monster. "Red Ogre, crush that monster!"

Red Ogre leapt forward and attempted to strike the target with its spiked bat. The hidden monster turned into an old martial artist holding a defensive Judo stance. (DEF 1800)

"I activate my trap, D2 Shield!" said Clay. "This card will double my monster's defense!"

Legendary Jujitsu Master caught Red Ogre's spiked bat with his bare hands, then countered the attack with a swift shoulder throw despite the size difference. Red Ogre immediately vanished from sight soon after.

"Due to Jujitsu's effect, Red Ogre returned to the top of your deck." Clay explained.

Phantom smirked. It seemed like the situation didn't bother him a bit. "…I set a card. Turn end."

 **[Clay: 8000] - Vs - [Phantom: 7200]**

"My turn." Clay drew a card. He took brief moment to analyze his cards. _Time to take the offensive._ "I summon Doki Doki."

A weird-looking clay pot was manifested in front of him. (500/500/*2)

"I activate Doki Doki's effect. I discard my level 8 Exxod to special summon Granmarg the Mega Monarch from my deck."

A big portal appeared beside Doki Doki. Clay could feel the ground trembled as Granmarg arose from the portal and made an appearance. (2800/1000/*8)

"Battle Phase." Clay shouted. "Granmarg, attack Wightprincess! Gaia Breaker!"

Granmarg prepared to launch a rock projectile toward the zombie.

"Halt! I use Wightprincess's ability." Phantom interrupted. "By sending Wightprincess to the graveyard, all monsters on the field shall lose 300 ATK and DEF multiplied by their level."

Wightprincess let out a creepy chuckle before a black orb completely swallowed her. Ominous cloud of darkness surrounded Legendary Jujitsu Master, Doki Doki, and Granmarg. Doki Doki was weakened to 0 ATK while Granmarg barely survived with 400 ATK left.

Clay wasn't fond of this turn of event. "In that case, Granmarg will attack you directly."

Granmarg manifested a small rock and launched it toward the target. Phantom winced due to impact. ( **LP 7200 → 6800** )

"Fool." Phantom said. "I can't believe you took the bait so easily." He pressed a button on his Duel Disk. "I unleash my trap, Wolf in Sheep's Clothing! With this card, I can special summon level 1 monster from my hand." He placed a card on his Duel Disk. "Meet your worst nightmare… King of Skull Servants!"

An eerie skeleton sporting a long-sleeved rags rose from the ground. It was surrounded by thick devilish aura. (4000/0/*1)

"What the…!" Jake was dumbfounded. "That monster has 4000 ATK!?"

"Are you surprised?" Phantom laughed. "King of Skull Servants gained 1000 ATK for each Skull Servant in my graveyard. Just in case it wasn't obvious enough, all Wight monsters are treated as Skull Servant while in the grave."

Phantom continued. "I am not finished yet. Wolf in Sheep's Clothing also special summons a second monster straight from the deck. Say hello to the second King." He said mockingly.

Another King of Skull Servants appeared. (ATK 4000)

Clay broke out in cold sweat as he stared at the new threat in front of him. He considered his options on his hand. "I set a card. I end my turn." A facedown card appeared behind his monsters. The dark cloud surrounding Granmarg and the others dispersed, reversing their ATK to normal.

Phantom made a draw. "Unfortunately, I don't possess kind personality. Why settle for double trouble if I can go for triple." He inserted a card into the Disk. "I use this spell card, Where Arf Thou? If I control a level 1 monster, I can take another level 1 monster from my deck."

Phantom quickly took the card that slipped out of his deck. He revealed the added card to Clay. The third copy of King of Skull Servants. "At this point, it should be obvious what's coming next… your demise."

Clay watched as the third King joined the fray. This was the first time he ever faced three 4000 ATK beaters at once. He didn't have any monster that could possibly defeat them in battle. _Perhaps with different method…?_ His eyes rested on the facedown card on his side of the field.

"Don't bother." Phantom played the last card in his hand. "Quick-play spell, Anti-Magic Arrows!"

Volley of arrows was discharged toward Clay's facedown card.

"Sorry to burst your bubble." Phantom said. "Anti-Magic Arrows shall make sure your facedown card to stay… 'unemployed' for the rest of this turn." He suddenly burst into laughter. "It's too late to beg for mercy now! I _did_ give you your last chance, remember?"

Clay gulped as his legs shuddered in anticipation of impending attack.

Phantom pointed. "King of Skull Servants… attack Doki Doki!"

The first skeleton hurled a massive blast of dark energy at the clay pot. The pot immediately shattered to pieces. Clay screamed as he felt surge of painful sensation on his body. ( **LP 8000 → 4500** )

"Clay, are you alright?" Jake shouted, still recording the whole duel from distance.

"But wait, there's more," said Phantom mockingly. He pointed at Granmarg. "Destroy that golem!"

The second skeleton discharged dark energy at Granmarg, destroying it as well. Clay winced as another pain was inflicted on him. ( **LP 4500 → 3300** )

And finally, the last King of Skull Servants attacked and destroyed Legendary Jujitsu Master. The skeleton vanished from the field soon after.

"Jujitsu Master… still returned your King to the top of your deck..." Clay said weakly as he struggled to recover his strength.

"No matter," said Phantom. He placed the card back to his deck. "He is still coming back next turn. It's your turn now." His face turned into disturbing grin. "…You better make it count."

 **[Clay: 3300] - Vs - [Phantom: 6800]**

Clay started to feel regret for getting into this situation. Was it a mistake to enter this place? Was he being too naive for thinking he could win a Shadow Duel? Did he play with the wrong fire? As much as he despised it, he had to agree with Phantom.

The next turn absolutely _needed_ to count.

Clay silently prayed for miracle. He slowly drew the top card of his deck.

It was Giant Rat. _Think, Clay Dustin. Think._ Clay exerted maximum amount of his brain power. _He got two Kings and Call of the Mummy. And his next draw… is another King. I still have to deal with triple Kings again next turn._

Clay stared at remaining cards in his hand. _Morphing Jar is lost cause… unless I manage to draw Swift Scarecrow with it. Very unlikely. Giant Rat on the other hand… What am I supposed to summon with it? Block Golem? Fossil Dyna?_ He considered all his options. _Not to mention I still have my facedown card with me…_

Clay closed his eyes as a plan was formulated in his mind.

"I set a monster." Clay said with resolve. A new defensive monster appeared on his side of the field. "Your move."

At this point, Jake almost reached his breaking point. He found it difficult to retain his composure. He was overwhelmed with fear and anxiety. _Clay… If you lose… I won't forgive you._

Phantom started his turn, drawing his card. "I afraid this is the end of the line. Nothing could possibly save you now. I shall savor my victory as your soul be consumed by eternal darkness."

"Talk is cheap. Prove yourself." Clay retorted.

Phantom felt his temper rising. "Tch, for a lowly mortal, you sure have sharp tongue." He slammed the newly drawn card onto his Disk. "I summon King of Skull Servants!"

The third King returned again to duel field. (ATK 4000)

Phantom wasted no time to declare his attack. "King of Skull Servants, crush that monster!" The first King started to build up sphere of dark energy.

"I activate my trap, Reverse Glasses!" Clay shouted as his facedown card lifted. "All monsters currently on the field lose half of their ATK until the End Phase."

Three pairs of ugly glasses flew away toward each King of Skull Servants. They looked visibly uncomfortable when the spectacles were forced upon them. ( **ATK 4000 → 2000** )

The first King continued to build up energy, then released it toward Clay's monster. A Giant Rat was revealed as the poor beast took the blast violently and shattered.

"I activate Giant Rat's effect," said Clay. "When this card is destroyed by battle, I can special summon a low ATK Earth monster from my deck." A piece of card was automatically ejected from his deck. Clay pulled it out before placing it on his Duel Disk. "And I choose another Giant Rat."

A new Giant Rat appeared in attack position. (1400/1450/*4)

"Then I shall obliterate that rat as well!" said Phantom.

The second King launched the same attack toward Giant Rat. Clay braced himself as the rodent mammal got exterminated. ( **LP 3300 → 2700** )

"I summon another Giant Rat." Clay announced as his third and final battle searcher replacing the previous monster on the field. (ATK 1400)

"Foolish." Phantom was getting irritated. "No matter how many times you summoned it, I'm still going to kill them all."

Phantom snapped his fingers in dramatic fashion. The third King took the cue and proceeded to slay the rodent one more time. Clay endured the resulting impact as another wave of agony coursing through his body. ( **LP 2700 → 2100** )

"I summon Mormolith…" said Clay weakly. He steadied himself as best as he could before putting the card on his Disk. An ancient statue with oddly-shaped head and legs materialized in front of him. (1000/900/*4)

"Whatever." Phantom muttered. He had expected to finish the duel this turn. This outcome certainly contradicted his expectation. To say that he was annoyed about it would be an understatement. "Turn end." He said grudgingly.

The effect from Reverse Glasses wore off. Each King of Skull Servants regained their lost ATK point. ( **ATK 2000 → 4000** )

 **[Clay: 2100] - Vs - [Phantom: 6800]**

Clay made a draw. "I activate Mormolith's special effect! By releasing 1 Earth monster…" Mormolith was surrounded by white orb and disappeared. "All monsters with lower DEF than the released monster's ATK will instantly turn to dust." Clay smiled. "Just in case you can't do the math… all your zombies are qualified."

Phantom watched in horror as all his monsters got petrified and shattered. Meanwhile, Jake felt immense relief to see Clay managed to turn the tables successfully.

Clay placed all his remaining cards on his Duel Disk. "I set a monster and one facedown card. My turn is done." A concealed monster and one reverse card appeared.

Phantom drew a card and looked at it. "Do you know what's intriguing about undead? It doesn't matter how many times you kill them. They still keep coming back beyond the grave… over and over."

"Get to the point," said Clay.

Phantom laughed. "The point? I shall let you decide that for yourself." He put his only card on the Disk. "I use Call of the Mummy to summon Il Blud."

A new zombie wearing prisoner outfit appeared. There was an iron ball attached on the right leg. A hideous face was visible at the center of its torso. (2100/800/*6)

"There's more." Phantom continued. "Il Blud is Gemini monster. I shall use my normal summon to activate its Gemini effect." The zombie started to glow faintly as it got infused with new power. "Then I use Il Blud's ability to revive King of Skull Servants."

Il Blud began to do some odd gesture. A pitch black portal opened on the ground. A skeleton slowly crawled upward and rose beside Il Blud. (ATK 6000)

Clay stared at the familiar monster with disgust. He didn't see this coming. He worked hard to destroy those Kings last turn. To witness the same monster coming back again… it certainly was _not_ a pretty sight.

"Battle!" Phantom shouted. "Il Blud… smash that monster!"

Il Blud rushed forward and slammed its fist toward its target. Morphing Jar was broken to pieces in a single strike.

"You just flipped my Morphing Jar." Clay explained. "That means both of us must draw 5 cards, considering we are literally empty-handed at the moment." He reached his deck and drew five times.

"Gladly…" Phantom smiled as he proceeded to drew five cards. "Although I fail to see any significance about this… _considering_ what's coming after you next." He pointed at Clay. "King of Skull Servants… direct attack!"

Clay quickly pressed a button. "I activate my trap, Burst Rebirth!" His facedown card opened. "By paying 2000 LP, I can special summon a monster in facedown defense position." New concealed monster appeared in front of him. ( **LP 2100 → 100** )

King of Skull Servants continued its attack and hurled a sphere of dark energy toward the monster. Legendary Jujitsu Master shielded himself as he took the blast and disappeared. The skeleton also disappeared from the field after the attack.

"HA, HA, HA, HA." Phantom couldn't resist to gloat. "Look at you. Barely survive with only 100 LP left. I've never seen such pathetic display of skill. You might as well give up now and stop struggling."

"There is a famous saying." Clay said calmly. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

Phantom somehow got offended by last statement. "Very well then…" He muttered quietly. He swiftly took a card from his hand. "I use Book of Life. By banishing a monster from your grave, I can revive King of Skull Servants from my grave. Say goodbye to your Jujitsu Master."

Clay took out Legendary Jujitsu Master from the discard slot. In front of him, King of Skull Servants made an appearance again.

"I'm not finished yet, mortal." Phantom took another card. "I use Foolish Burial to send Mezuki from my deck to the grave." He inserted Mezuki into the discard slot. "Then I use Mezuki's ability. By banishing itself, I can revive another zombie from the grave."

The second King of Skull Servants appeared once more. (ATK 4000)

Phantom stared at the three cards in his hand. Needlebug Nest, Destruction Jammer, and Wightprince. _He can't possibly hope to destroy my monsters in battle. Therefore, he needs to rely on destruction effects. When that happens, I will discard Wightprince to activate Destruction Jammer… completely foiling his plan. Also, Wightprince will further increased King's ATK by 3000 points. Killing two birds with one stone. A perfect plan. I cannot lose._

Phantom grinned as he inserted two cards into his Disk. "I put these two cards. The end." _For you._

 **[Clay: 100] - Vs - [Phantom: 6800]**

"My turn." Clay made a draw. As soon as he did, one reverse card on opposite side was activated.

"I use Needlebug Nest!" Phantom said. "Now, I send the top five cards of my deck to the graveyard." He revealed his top deck and sent Skull Servant, Haunted Shrine, One for One, Wightprincess, and Wightmare. Phantom was overjoyed at his luck as both Kings got stronger with each monster he sent. ( **ATK 4000 → 7000** )

Clay didn't seem impressed with the ATK increase. He gently played a card. "I activate Monster Reborn!"

"Let me guess… Mormolith," said Phantom. _Too predictable._

The ancient statue returned to the field. (DEF 900)

"Then you should be able to _guess_ what's coming next," said Clay. "I activate Mormolith's effect!" Mormolith was consumed by white light and vanished.

"End of the line!" Phantom pressed a button. His final reverse card opened. "Counter trap, Destruction Jammer!" He quickly discarded Wightprince from his hand. A giant barrier protected Il Blud and both King of Skull Servants from Mormolith's petrification effect.

"That's not all." Phantom continued. "Because Wightprince was discarded, I get to send one more Skull Servant and Lady in Wight to the grave." He put two more cards into his discard slot. Kings of Skull Servants received more power boost as result. ( **ATK 7000 → 10000** )

"That's… ten thousands attack points!?" Jake watched in disbelief.

"Face your fate, mortal!" Phantom laughed. "There's nothing you can do anymore. Not even a God card can win against it. As I said, this is the end of the line." He gave Clay a taunting look. "Game… over…"

Clay only stood there, completely unfazed. There was a long pause of silence before the curious archaeologist decided to break the stillness.

"…I win." Clay said quietly.

"What!" Phantom was taken aback by the unexpected remark. "Have you lost your mind?"

"It was pure deduction." Clay explained. "No more card in hand, check. No more facedown card, check. Not to mention there is no Necro Gardna in your graveyard. My win is guaranteed. Nothing can save you now."

Clay revealed a monster from his hand. "I banish all Rock-type monsters in my graveyard." Doki Doki, Granmarg, Morphing Jar, Exxod, and Mormolith slipped out of discard slot. He collected all of them before putting them inside a pocket. He then played his previously revealed card. "I summon Megarock Dragon!"

A big portal opened on the ground. A huge dragon made entirely of stone emerged from the portal in dramatic fashion. It let out a threatening roar that echoed through the room. (3500/3500/*7)

"Next." Clay took another card. "I normal summon Lost Guardian in attack position."

An ancient stone soldier appeared beside Megarock Dragon. It looked very sturdy and stiff. The soldier wielded a spear that increased its intimidating presence. (100/4200/*4)

"Lost Guardian has special DEF score based on the total banished Rock-type monsters. Right now I have six, including Jujitsu Master that you banished with Book of Life."

"Clay…" Jake looked confused. "Aren't you… supposed to put it on defense?"

"I see," said Phantom. He was unimpressed. "Not only you were delusional, you're also a reckless fool."

Clay stared at his opponent. "Like I said… my win is guaranteed." He swiftly played a new card. "I activate Shield and Sword! This card switchs ATK and DEF of all monsters on the field."

"It can't be…!" Phantom watched as his Skull Servants went from unstoppable 10000 ATK to powerless 0 ATK. Meanwhile, Lost Guardian suddenly turned into 4200 ATK juggernaut. Phantom began to realize the implication of this sudden turn of event.

Clay pointed at the skeleton in front of him. "Megarock Dragon, destroy King of Skull Servants!"

The dragon moved forward and stomped the King with its giant leg, destroying the poor zombie completely. The resulting impact created a shockwave on the ground that knocked Phantom backward. ( **LP 6800 → 3300** )

Clay wasted no time to settle the duel. "Lost Guardian… attacked the second King!"

With a swift movement, Lost Guardian thrust its weapon at the King's torso, effectively making a hole at the center and destroying it. ( **LP 3300 → 0** )

"No! T-this can't be happening… argh!" The Phantom started to writhe in pain when a big glob of shadow appeared on the ground and slowly devoured him. Clay witnessed the excruciating sight, feeling conflicted about his moral standpoint regarding the event. He certainly didn't feel like a hero after 'erasing' a sentient entity from existence.

The magic circle that confined him disappeared, together with all holographic monsters from the duel. With everything vanished from sight, the trial was finally over.

In retrospect, the whole experience felt like a dream. It was so unreal and fleeting. _Did I seriously do all that?_ Clay thought to himself. Perhaps the harsh realization that he could possibly have been the victim of Shadow Duel was too terrifying for his mind to wrap around. And his brain decided that it was better to numb his senses and pretended the whole carnage didn't actually happen.

Clay stood there for few moments in semi-blank state before something knocked him to the ground.

"Nice knowing you." Jake greeted casually. "I'm _glad_ you could just stand there and did casual space exploration as if nothing happened. No, I'm obviously _not_ mad at you for almost giving me cardiac arrest. Thanks for nothing Mr. I-shamelessly-love-getting-in-trouble!"

"Sorry, that was a close one." Clay got up while rubbing the back of his head.

"You never change, Clay." Jake sighed. "Let's… let's just finish our business here and get the hell out of here, post-haste. It's tiring me out."

 ** _Come…_**

Clay heard the mysterious voice again. The voice started to mesmerize him. He gradually felt his conscious control on his body fading little by little. Some invisible force began to take hold over him.

 ** _Heed my call…_**

Clay watched helplessly as his legs took initiative on its own and walked toward the black matter. He tried to resist the binding of influence placed upon him. But, it didn't work out. He had no choice but to submit as his body moved closer to the object.

Clay observed the mysterious object in front of him. It certainly looked twice as hideous at this close distance. He could sense powerful energy coming from the inside. Something really dark and terrifying. Yet at the same time, he also felt a hint of pain and suffering.

 ** _Unbind the seal…_**

This time, the voice echoed with urgency. It was at this moment that Clay became aware of what was happening. Someone was asking for his help, desperately seeking for release. And this entity probably had been enduring some kind of imprisonment for a long time.

 _Are you… by any chance… in pain?_ Clay asked.

He didn't receive a response. But somehow, he felt a sudden desire to ease its suffering. Perhaps, he could do something, anything…

Clay was not sure whether what he did next was the product of his conscious will or not. He reached out to the gold emblem at the center, then forcefully yanked it out of the chain.

 ** _At last…_**

Some sort of black smoke was leaking out from the object. Clay realized that the gas tried to force its way toward him. He felt his awareness starting to fade. His strength was drained as he unwillingly continued to absorb the unknown substance. Eventually, his legs gave up, dropping his body to the cold floor surface.

The last thing he remembered was Jake's voice calling his name from distance.

* * *

( **A/N:** Yay! I made it to the end. Phew. Glad it was over. I am fairly new to fic writing. So, I am totally open to comment, constructive criticism, suggestion, etc. Just, don't give me any hate mail, please. My heart is more fragile than a cheap glass from second-hand store.

See you on next chapter!)


	2. Chapter 2

.

Chapter 2

Future Visions

( **A/N:** I can't believe I had to do so many Internet "research" about different obscure topics in order to finish this chapter. It was very time consuming. On the bright side, I learned plenty of interesting stuff. I guess it wasn't that bad in the end. Anyway, chapter 2 is here. Happy reading!)

* * *

 _Delusional._

 _Clay almost convinced that his mind had gone delusional. He found himself wandering in unknown territory. All he had seen were nothing but overarching trees. It almost felt like a forest of some kind. The air was humid and nauseating. He couldn't perceive the surrounding area clearly because the darkness and fog limited his field of vision. And when he looked above, all he saw was pitch black ceiling._

 _Even though Clay never considered himself claustrophobic, this confining surrounding made him feel anxious… and afraid._

 _He tried to explore the area. But there was no end in sight. Not to mention his sense of direction didn't seem to work well here. Every single tree looked very identical. He felt like he was running in circles for a really long time._

 _Eventually, he stopped to catch his breath. It was at this moment that a figure of darkness appeared in front him. The creature assumed unrecognizable form. Something really grotesque and evil. And yet, Clay also sensed other traits coming from that being. Apathy, pain, and seclusion…_

 _The creature tried to approach him. Clay immediately chose to run away. He retreated to opposite direction and worked his legs as hard as he could. The creature gave chase, slowly closing the gap between them. Clay was unable to maintain his pace much longer, which to be expected as he was not athletic to begin with._

 _The creature finally grabbed his shoulder, then turned him around before placing a strong hold over his neck. Clay struggled in vain as the creature effortlessly lifted him off the ground while still keeping a firm grasp on his neck… violently._

 _Clay found himself in the state of pure desperation as he hopelessly gasping for air. He did his best to free himself from the clutch. But the strength difference between them were too large. He felt his awareness sinking with each moment as wave of hopelessness began to swallow him completely._

 _The creature released the grip, dropping his body to the ground. Clay was too exhausted to make even the smallest of movement. He could only looked at his assailant, completely surrendering his fate at whatever torment he was going to face next. The creature merely gazed at him for a long time._

 _'Who are you?' Clay asked with his mind._

 _He immediately received telepathic feedback._ **_'Forgive me. I have no choice.'_** _The creature looked genuinely sad._

 _'What do you mean?' Clay asked again._

 ** _'This is my nature… my sole purpose of existing…'_** _The creature replied._

 _'But still…' Clay thought. 'You always have a choice, right…? Are you really sure you do not have one?'_

 _The creature just stood there. Pausing. Or perhaps contemplating. Clay didn't know for sure. After a while, the creature finally lifted both of his hands closer to his face, staring at them._

 ** _'Do I…?'_**

* * *

"C… l… ay…"

Clay heard a faint calling of his name. He perceived nothing but pitch black darkness through the limited sensory of his consciousness. For a while, he felt like a tiny bubble drifting aimlessly in the ocean. A fleeting existence, without any kind of purpose or significance. Meaningless.

"C… lay…!"

The voice spoke louder again. Rough and raspy. Clay slowly became aware of his body. A beam of light passed through the gaps of his eyelids, making him winced. He tried to get used to the intruding sensation before making sense of his surrounding.

"Clay, you awake?" said Jake who was busy operating the steering wheel in the driver seat.

"What… where… what happened?" Clay struggled to maintain his focus. The moving vehicle constantly disrupted his orientation. Also, the piercing sunlight hurt his eyes when he attempted to scan the surrounding.

"That's my line." Jake scowled as he readjusted the accelerator after making a turn. "Still… that's a good question. Why don't _you_ tell me your side of the story before I elaborate on mine?"

Clay tried to retrieve his latest memory. _I was attacked and… that monster… wait a sec. Was it even real?_

"I… don't remember." Clay replied. He shifted his sitting position slightly. He never felt comfortable sitting in passenger seat of this cargo van.

Jake sighed. "Why am I not surprised?" He quickly changed gear to prepare for the long highway ahead. "Let's see… I was turning my back on you for a sec. And all of sudden, you dropped like a leaf. I almost thought you were dead!"

Pieces of event began to resurface on Clay's memory. He had been under some influence, and then he did something intrusive to the black matter. Not long after that, something sinister suffocated him which apparently led to his collapse.

"Hold on!" said Clay as another realization hit him hard. "I haven't completed my research yet. We should go back."

"Are you out of your mind!" Jake shouted. "Does nothing go through your head except dirt and bauble study? I had to carry you all the way out by myself. It's not even funny. Thanks for nothing Mr. Fainting-Violet-in-Distress!" He gently rubbed his forehead before letting out a sigh. "Maybe I should apply for triathlon after this." Jake said jokingly.

Clay thought about everything that happened. Was everything he did for nothing? After all that journey, investigation, to the point of risking his own existence on trial. In the end, he still didn't get proper closure that he wanted. Ogirun tribe would find out later about the trespassing, increasing the security even further. He probably wouldn't have the second chance to investigate after this. The answers which he craved would be lost forever. Somehow, this realization made him depressed.

 _All for naught._ Clay thought.

"Just forget it, Clay." Jake said. He could tell disappointment coming from the archaeologist beside him. "It's not worth it."

Clay kept his eyes on the road, trying to numb his emotion. "So, where are we going?"

"Home." Jake replied. "We should reach Neo Domino City in two hours. You'd better rest up." He slowed down as the van reached a tunnel. "…You look really worn out."

Clay adjusted his posture and proceeded to close his eyes, while trying his best to ignore the uncomfortable seat. He resigned himself as wave of drowsiness began to swarm his consciousness. He thought he heard a faint whisper before he fell into complete slumber.

 ** _'Not for naught…'_**

* * *

Jake crossed the city limit without any issue, except for exhaustion that began to take its toll on his body. He had endured the whole night without any rest. The time almost reached 10 a.m. and he was on the verge of sleeping. To be fair, it was sort of his fault for joining the trip in the first place. It wasn't like he had a choice back then. Jake knew perfectly well that Clay would travel alone on this 'suicide mission' if Jake had refused to accompany his foolhardy friend.

Meanwhile, Clay couldn't get as much good sleep as he wanted. Uncomfortable seat aside, his mind had been occupied with many things. From Deus Ghisk incident, the unusual dream, to his next action plan. He made a mental note to check the video recording later. Unfortunately, the video was the only source material he could use for further study. He wished he had more than just recording. Something more… substantial.

A sudden phone call interrupted Clay's train of thought. He pulled out his phone and examined the caller ID. _Hmm… an unknown number?_

"Hello…?" Clay answered with wariness.

" _I know what you did._ " A stern female voice came from the other end.

Clay knew _exactly_ whose voice it belonged to. "Chancellor…!?" He failed to hide the sound of panic from his voice.

" _To my office. Pronto._ " She hung up right away, leaving behind a parting shot with bitter aftertaste.

"Let me guess…" Jake smirked. "Bad news." He resisted the urge to laugh at his friend's possible misfortune. "Can't say I'm surprised… considering the amount of troubles you have been attracting so far. Like attracts like, they said."

Clay responded with a long-drawn-out face palm. "I… I'm stopping at my campus. Let's part ways there."

"Fair enough." Jake pressed the accelerator and proceeded to speed up among the traffic on Neo Domino highway.

 _This won't be pretty._ Clay thought.

* * *

Clay received many weird glances as he walked across the campus hallways. It didn't help that he wasn't wearing proper attire for aspiring college professor. His clothes were dirty with stain and mud. And his travelling backpack looked very out of place in this academic setting.

He took a deep breath before entering chancellor's office. Chancellor Talia sat at her desk, giving Clay a piercing glare. She adjusted her sleek glasses before standing up.

"Ah, it seems our misbehaving faculty member just graced us with…" The chancellor glanced at the man's outfit with disgust. "…his _not_ so appropriate presence!"

Talia walked around the desk and leaned against it. "Please _do mind_ sitting down. I will appreciate if you keep the furniture clean."

Clay started to break out in a cold sweat. "Uhm… The think is… I was…" He struggled to find a plausible excuse.

"Don't interrupt!" Talia lashed out, making the poor archaeologist frozen in place. She pulled out a mini computer device from her pocket.

"Let us begin your assessment." She began to read the monitor. "Yesterday, at precisely 9:03 a.m. you exited Neo Domino periphery even though you were supposed to attend class that morning. Following that, you had the gut to cross illegal region at 5:39 p.m. without any ownership of official permit, effectively making you guilty for illegal entry."

Clay cursed himself for not jamming the tracking function in his phone. He could just easily pretend to be sick if she didn't possess those critical information. Chancellor Talia had been known to be super strict to her staffs. To the point of installing tracking application and checking every bit of background information including legal documents record.

"Your display of methodological deficiency could easily ruin our institution's name." Talia continued her rant. "Imagine if this data falls into Public Security's hands. Those media dogs will have a field day!"

Clay wanted to retort with something, anything. But, words failed to come from his mouth. To be fair, he was on the wrong side of the fence. He didn't have official permit. But, Jake actually had the legal papers from his mass media company. From technical standpoint, Clay at least _thought_ he hadn't committed illegal entry.

"Do I need to give you friendly reminder that you are still in probationary period?" Talia threatened. "As a chancellor, it is my duty to weed out 'less proficient' member from the faculty."

Clay only stood still, waiting for the inevitable verdict.

Talia sighed. "I shall turn a blind eye on this, Mr. Dustyn. Consider this your final warning. If I catch you neglecting your duty again…" She returned to her desk. "Consider your tenure done. Dismiss." She gestured Clay to leave.

"Yes, ma'am." Clay hung his head in shame as he left the room, feeling dejected.

* * *

Clay managed to reach his apartment in the afternoon.

Cold shower failed to cool off his head. The unexpected berating from the chancellor made his emotional state worsened. His luck certainly wasn't on his side today. He wondered if he truly was a trouble magnet as Jake claimed it to be.

Clay finished cleaning up then looked at the mirror. He could see his eyes had become red. The trip left him with nothing but fatigue and disappointment. He continued to look at his defeated reflection. _Was it all worth it?_

It was at that moment that he noticed something unusual. There was a faint bruise mark with bluish color around his neck. The bruise perhaps wasn't noticeable at a glance. But it was clearly visible at this close distance.

 _What the heck…?_ Clay thought as he traced the mark with his finger. He didn't remember receiving any kind of collision or impact on his neck. It didn't make any sense to him at all. There was no way the bruise could possibly appear. Not unless…

He shuddered as memory of his nightmare resurfaced. The image flashed through his mind. Something had been trying to strangle him. And he was suffocating during the violent struggle. _Could it be…?_

Clay quickly dismissed the thought as the implication began to terrify him. He decided that taking care of his fatigue should be the first priority at this point. A decent nap and rejuvenation should be able to dispel all his worries and mental baggage. Not to mention, he needed to deliver a lecture tomorrow morning.

He turned in early that day, trying to suppress unpleasant feeling inside him.

* * *

 _Clay stood in the dark forest again._

 _He had neither the clue nor memory regarding his arrival in this place. He was alone in the middle of nowhere, feeling uncertain about his objective. He contemplated whether exploring the area was better than staying where he was._

 _Normally, he would have been curious about the unknown. He was the type who could never hold his horses when it came to exploring uncharted area. Except this time, he was afraid. The oppressive atmosphere was too much for him to handle. Perhaps if his companion was here, then maybe he could…_

 _An invincible force knocked him to the ground. Before he could react, something grabbed his left ankle and proceeded to drag his body with high velocity._

 _Clay attempted to struggle as painful collisions on the ground began to inflict his body with agony. He couldn't recognize who or what attacking him. They certainly weren't willing to let go of his body no matter how much Clay kept resisting._

 _At some point, his head bumped against a rock, leaving behind a severe twinge on his forehead. His assailant immediately stopped moving. Clay touched the wound by reflex and noticed thick blood coating his fingers._

 ** _'Did it hurt?'_** _The creature sent telepathic thought. Clay didn't sense malevolent intent coming from the question._

 _The archaeologist was finally able to see his attacker clearly. It was the same creature as before, still radiating with aura of darkness. Clay felt most of his body went numb due to injury._

 _The creature stood and waited patiently for response._

 _'Why are you doing this?' Clay thought._

 _The creature spent a long time thinking about the answer. As if the question was some kind of doctoral dissertation which Clay had to endure during his academic years._

 ** _'I… I know nothing… I just did…'_** _The creature seemed confused._

 _Clay found his vision getting blurry as he continued to gaze at his assailant. He wanted to understand the meaning and reasoning behind those words. He craved an answer…_

He woke up abruptly. To his horror, he found fresh blood pouring out of his head.

* * *

 _What happened to me?_

Clay couldn't concentrate on his lecture next morning. His mind kept thinking about his mysterious wound. The dream, or to be precise, the nightmare felt so lucid and real. It was _way_ too real. So real that his wound somehow had transcended into reality.

He shuddered as he imagined what would have happened if the creature had done something more… lethal. Would he survive? Would his bed turn into literal deathbed? Or perhaps, he was merely hallucinating due to stress and mental breakdown. Maybe, he contracted a rare disease that caused him to bleed while sleeping.

Either way, he realized that he _needed_ help.

"What happened to me?" Clay said to physician in front of him.

The doctor kept shuffling papers and medical charts. A confused expression was apparent on his face. "So, you mentioned you had a nightmare… and there was a bleeding on your head. Are you sure it wasn't a nosebleed?"

"I don't think that was the case," said Clay. "When I woke up, this area was bleeding." He pointed at small bandage on his forehead.

"Are you alcoholic? Did you consume alcohol yesterday?"

"No, I don't drink." Clay knew perfectly well that he never touched alcoholic beverages.

"Then… are you on medication?" The doctor asked.

"No… at least I'm not aware of it." Clay said truthfully.

"What about depression?"

Clay thought about disaster from yesterday. "Well, I can't say I'm feeling emotionally well. But still…"

The doctor frowned. "These symptoms don't add up, Mr. Dustyn. I never encounter a case like this. There are possibilities of hallucination, chronic sleepwalking…" He adjusted his tone carefully. "…Or possible mental health issue."

Clay was dumbfounded. He started sinking deeper on his chair. _So… now he thinks I'm crazy._

"Anyway…" The doctor began to write something. "I'll prescribe some sleep medication to ease your nightmare problem." He finished writing then handed Clay two papers. "And this is referral letter to a colleague of mine. He is a renowned psychiatrist."

Clay left the examination room with prescription in his hand. He stood with blank expression in front of the closed door. His visit to physician didn't reward him with sense of relief. He believed he was not delusional. At least he hoped so. Clay tried to come up with deduction of his own.

If he didn't contracted rare disease, then his problem must be related to paranormal. He had firsthand experience that confirmed the existence of magic. Not to mention, he only started having nightmare after returning from Deus Ghisk. He found it difficult to see it as 'mere' coincidence.

Clay realized he still needed help. But, he had no idea where the help would come from. Not even a single clue about where to search. Who should he ask for help at time like this? He didn't think Jake would be able to help, let alone believe his outrageous story.

He briefly read the prescription and sighed. _This 'Prazosin' had better be good._

"Excuse me, sir."

Clay didn't realize there was a woman standing in front of him. She wore a casual dress that made her look like young early twenties adult. But, her demeanor gave strong impression of professional mature woman. She looked him in the eye and smiled.

"I just got a vision about you." She said gently. "I believe it will be in your best interest to book my service." She pulled out something from her purse then held it in front of Clay. It looked like a card.

Clay paused as he tried to digest the out of the blue dialogue that made no sense. "Pardon?"

The woman, without prior permission whatsoever, put the card inside his shirt pocket. "See you _soon_." She quickly left and disappeared to nearby hospital corridor.

"Hold on!" Clay tried reaching out to her. But, he was too late. She already vanished from sight, leaving behind a very confused archaeologist.

Clay examined the card from his pocket. It was a small business card with clean minimalist design. He proceeded to read the card.

 _Dianne Rui_

 _Professional Intuitive Divination Duelist_

 _Get answer and guidance now._

Clay held his forehead, trying to understand the situation. _I hope I'm not delusional._

* * *

Clay stood in front of a seemingly normal office building. He could read the sign 'Channeling Mediumship Center' at the front. He came here immediately from campus after he finished all of his faculty responsibilities. He didn't know what to expect in this place. It wasn't like he had a choice but to come here.

To his relief, Clay didn't have any nightmare last night. The medicine might have something to do with it. Maybe, it was pure coincidence. Either way, he didn't want to spend the rest of his life relying on sleeping pills.

Clay entered the front door. The lobby had distinct interior compared to other buildings he had seen. He briefly looked left and right, wondering what to do first. He could see few people walking around. He decided to approach the front receptionist.

The receptionist smiled. "Can I help you, sir?"

Clay revealed the business card he got yesterday. "Is it possible to meet Miss Rui right now?"

"Oh, have you booked an appointment with her, sir?"

"Appointment?" said Clay, confused. He didn't see this coming. "Well, actually I was thinking that—"

"I've been expecting you." A woman said from behind.

Clay turned around. It was indeed the same woman from yesterday. This time, she wore formal wear that matched her mature presence. She gently offered her hand. "I'm Dianne Rui. Feel free to address me as Dianne."

Clay accepted the handshake. "Clay Dustyn. Err, nice to meet you, Miss Dianne." He wasn't sure how to continue the conversation from here. Dianne, despite being younger than him, seemed to give off slight intimidating vibe that he usually got from older authority.

"Please follow me, Mr. Dustyn," said Dianne.

She guided him to a private room on second floor. It was a pretty large size room with relaxing decoration. Both of them sat at small rectangular table in the middle.

"Normally, my clients need to book appointment with me in advance." She said while shuffling a deck of cards. "But, I have this feeling that you're facing an urgent circumstance at the moment. In such case, I can make an exception. We can begin our session right away."

"Err… Miss Dianne?" said Clay who was still clueless about the situation. "What exactly are we doing here?"

Dianne gave a comforting smile. "We shall do intuitive reading. I will use my ESP to channel information and guidance from Higher Power. We can go with the old school Tarot cards reading. Or alternatively, if you're bold and daring…" She drew a card and revealed it. _Fool of Prophecy_. "We can engage in Divination Duel instead. This service is my specialty by the way."

 _Divination… Duel?_ Clay thought. _That's news to me._ The new vocabulary did not fail to trigger his curiosity.

"First, I demand upfront payment." She said casually. "My rate is $500 per session."

"I have to pay?" Clay was surprised. "That's a rather pricey service."

"Unfortunately, my bills don't pay themselves." She let out small laugh in order to not sound rude to her soon-to-be customer. "Oh, no need to worry if you don't bring enough cash. We accept credit cards here."

Clay reluctantly gave the amount from his wallet. "I… I have my deck with me. But, I left my Duel Disk at home."

"That won't be an issue, Mr. Dustyn." Dianne said as she took the money. "We can provide you with one."

They moved few furniture that would get in the way to the sidelines. Clay and Dianne proceeded to get ready. Clay didn't know what to expect. He was both nervous and eager at the same time. A duel was still a duel no matter what. As a duelist, he was certain he would have a good time.

"First thing first…" She said in serious tone. "Do you want to know _everything_?"

Clay thought about the question for a while. "Yes." He said with a hint of determination.

"Then, let us begin."

"Duel!" Both duelist drew five cards.

 **[Clay: 8000] - Vs - [Dianne: 8000]**

"Ladies first." Dianne said. She began to close her eyes, trying to enter some kind of trance. She tentatively touched one card in her hand randomly. She briefly looked at it before revealing it to Clay.

"Magician card…" Dianne muttered as clairvoyant vision started to take form in her mental space. "I feel the issue that you're facing at the moment was started by your own action. You brought this upon yourself by playing with fire. The impression that I get is recklessness. No, I think it was pure naiveté."

Clay didn't want to comment. A part of him felt wary about potential cold reading. Even though Dianne had said relevant things, they were still vague statements by themselves. _Better safe than sorry._ He thought.

She placed the Magician card on her Disk. "I play Spellbook Magician of Prophecy."

A short boy wearing blue attire from top to bottom appeared. He held something that looked like a magic book. (500/400/*2)

"I'll use Magician's effect." She continued. "Now, I can take a Spellbook spell card from my deck. I think I will go with Spellbook of Knowledge." She quickly took the card and looked at it. Another vision appeared inside her mind.

"I saw you being surrounded by stack of books, Mr. Dustyn. And I had this impression that you actually enjoyed the surrounding. The stuffy atmosphere didn't seem to bother you at all. Do you have strong academic background by any chance?" Dianne asked.

"Well, I'm a college professor." He replied.

"Hmm, I never expected to do a reading for someone like you." Dianne seemed impressed. "Anyway, I play Spellbook of Knowledge." She inserted the spell card into the Disk. "I'm sending Magician to the graveyard in order to draw two cards." The young spellcaster vanished from the field. Dianne made two draws.

"Then, I shall play this continuous spell, Guarded Treasure." She revealed the card from her hand. "To activate this card, I have to discard five cards in exchange for drawing two more cards. Moreover, as long as Guarded Treasure stays on the field, I get to draw two cards during my Draw Phase."

 _What sort of strategy is this?_ Clay was bewildered by such bold play style. Discarding five cards at once certainly was not a joking matter. Clay could just easily destroy Guarded Treasure next turn, essentially turning those sacrifices into void.

Dianne discarded Prophecy Destroyer, Spellbook Library of Heliosphere, Spellbook Star Hall, Spell Wall, and Spellbook of Fate. She replenished her empty hands with two additional draws. She received a new vision.

"Guarded Treasure…" She muttered. "For some reason, I'm being shown the word 'trespassing'. And I have this feeling that 'trespassing was the event that started everything'. Does that make sense?" She asked.

"Well…" Clay felt reluctant to tell. "I was… committing illegal entry, so to speak. And things had been a mess since that happened. Oh, hold on!" He was panicking. "I appreciate if you don't report that to Security."

Dianne smiled. "No need to worry, Mr. Dustyn. My reading is always confidential. Even if you were a serial killer on the run, I wouldn't tell a soul."

She reached her discard slot and took out few cards. "I banish Spellbook of Knowledge, Spellbook of Fate, and Spellbook Star Hall to special summon Prophecy Destroyer from the graveyard."

Clay couldn't help but think about the nightmare as the monster appeared. It was a monstrous looking demon with human-like torso. It carried a sinister red sword that looked bloodthirsty. (2500/1200/*6)

"The Devil arcana…" Dianne explained. "I see that you are caught in unfavorable situation. For some reason, I feel a sensation of bondage. It's like my body being tied down and restricted. It feels quiet painful. And I get this impression that this unfortunate state have been going for very long time. I could also feel a trace of loneliness. And then—"

 ** _'Back off…'_**

Dianne paused. The sudden clairaudient input startled her. _What was that…!?_

 ** _'Stop intruding… my feeling…'_**

She sensed some sort of interference in the energy. It almost felt like she was channeling a different entity. She wasn't sure whether she simply misheard the voice or not. If the voice belonged to other entity… then who was it?

"Miss Dianne?" said Clay, confused.

"Ah, I'm not really sure just yet. Let's… let us continue the duel." Dianne inserted her remaining cards. "I set these two cards." Two facedown cards appeared. "Your turn, Mr. Dustyn."

"If you say so…" Clay drew a card. He considered the field situation. _My first priority is to destroy Guarded Treasure as soon as possible. Otherwise, things will escalate quickly._

"I set a monster." He said. A hidden monster appeared. "I activate my own continuous spell, Attack the Moon! With this card, I can destroy one spell or trap card each time a Rock-type monster on my side changes its battle position."

Clay pressed a button on his Duel Disk, ejecting his field slot. "Now, I activate a field spell, Catapult Zone." The room transformed into an ancient rocky battlefield with barren ground. He could see two sets of old catapult on his side of the field. "Once per turn, I can protect my monster from battle destruction by discarding a Rock-type monster from my deck."

He took one more card. "I end my turn with this facedown card." One reversed card appeared behind his monster.

 **[Clay: 8000] - Vs - [Dianne: 8000]**

"My turn." Dianne made two draws. She still felt uneasy about her previous turn. Something just didn't feel right. And she didn't even know why.

"I… I play Spellbook of Secrets." She said weakly. "I can take any Spellbook card from my deck. And I… I choose Spellbook of Eternity."

A card slipped out of her deck. She gazed at the card.

"I saw…" She muttered. "I'm not sure how to explain it. I sense the feeling of immortality out of this person. Eternal. He looks human. But, he isn't human. He looks real, but he is mere illusion. I feel like you know about this person. Or at least, you recognize him."

 _Is she talking about Phantom?_ Clay thought.

"I think I know who you are referring to," said Clay. "But, I don't think I can explain it better myself."

"Okay then, I shall play this card right away." She activated the spell. "This card allows me to retrieve one banished Spellbook to my hand, like my Spellbook of Knowledge, for instance."

Dianne pressed a button, one of her facedown card opened. "I discard my Spellbook of Knowledge to activate Twin Twisters. I think I will destroy both of your spell cards."

Two sets of whirlwind swept through the duel field. Both Catapult Zone and Attack the Moon cards were shattered to pieces. The field hologram effect disappeared, returning the room interior to its original state.

"I shall summon someone familiar." Dianne placed a card on her Disk. "Meet Fool of Prophecy."

The new spellcaster jumped from opening portal. He was a young adolescent boy wearing a clothing with brown and green colors combination. The green stripe scarf, sleek wavy brown hair, along with his smug expression made this 'arcana monster' stand out. (1600/900/*3)

"I had strong feeling about this card since you arrived." She said. "It's like this card truly resembles you as a person. Someone who often follows their foolish impulses. Curious individual with strong sense of spontaneity."

"These qualities are your greatest strength…" Dianne paused briefly. "…and also your weakness."

"Err, Miss Dianne…" Clay considered his words carefully. "I'm not good at digesting 'vague' statements. Could you please go straight to the main point?"

"Ah, I'm really sorry. People says I often get carried away." She seemed embarrassed. "Moving on… I shall use Fool's effect to send Spellbook Library of Crescent from my deck to the graveyard." She put the card into her discard slot.

Dianne pointed at Clay's hidden monster. "Now, I declare an attack with Prophecy Destroyer." She quickly pressed a button. Her final facedown card opened. "I use my trap card, Magician's Circle. Both of us must summon Spellcaster-type monster with 2000 ATK or less from the deck. I believe you don't have anything that fits the bill, Mr. Dustyn."

"Actually, I have one." Clay smirked. A card was ejected automatically from his deck. He revealed the monster. "I got this old man. I summon Mathematician."

An old professor with overly long beard appeared in front of him. (1500/500/*3)

Dianne responded by summoning her own monster. "I choose Apprentice Illusion Magician." A female spellcaster wearing iconic Dark Magician Girl's outfit was materialized. She wielded a short purple staff. (2000/1700/*6)

Dianne considered her next move. "Then… Prophecy Destroyer will attack Mathematician instead."

The demon Prophecy leaped forward and aimed his sword toward the old professor. He made a quick slash on the target. Mathematician vanished immediately. ( **LP 8000 → 7000** )

"Because Mathematician was destroyed…" Clay said. "Now, I can draw one card." He made a draw.

"My Illusion Magician will strike your monster." She declared. The spellcaster twirled her staff then released a beam of dark energy toward the concealed monster. Golem Sentry became visible. It took the attack and shattered.

Clay pressed a button. His reversed card was lifted. "I activate my trap, Broken Blocker. With this card, I can special summon two more Golem Sentry from my deck in defense position."

Two Golem Sentry replaced the previous one. They assumed defensive position. (DEF 1800)

"Interesting." Dianne said. "I'm going to proceed to my End Phase. Just a friendly reminder, I already have 5 different Spellbooks in my graveyard at the moment. Now, I can release Fool of Prophecy to summon a high level Dark Spellcaster from my deck."

The Fool was surrounded by white orb and disappeared.

"Meet the Death arcana…" She slammed the monster card on her Disk. "I summon Reaper of Prophecy!"

The Reaper exited through the portal. He wore sinister black robe with tatters at the bottom. He wielded a long scythe with grim design, adorned with demonic horns on top of it. (2000/1600/*6)

Dianne received another vision.

A giant hall surrounded with many lanterns. Two duelist facing each other inside a magic circle. The shadowy aftermath after the duel. An entity was consumed by pitch black darkness…

Dianne thought about the images. She tried to explore the meaning coming from the metaphors. But, she couldn't understand any of them. After a while, she came to conclusion that those images were not metaphors. They were actual recording of past event.

"I saw a Shadow Duel." Dianne said calmly. "I think… you were the one who engaged in it, Mr. Dustyn."

Clay was astonished by her accuracy. He didn't think it was possible to make up such statement with cold reading. It pretty much erased all of his doubt regarding Dianne's ESP integrity.

"It's true." Clay said. "I still remember it clearly. It was… horrible. It happened two days ago. I suspect something bad happened during that duel, something I don't understand yet. I really want to know what it was."

Dianne gave a warm reassuring smile. "I believe I should be able to give you some closure today. But, for now…" She began to speak in serious tone. "My Reaper has multiple effects depending on total Spellbooks in my graveyard. Because I have five cards, I get to apply all effects."

"First, Reaper shall gains 600 ATK."

( **ATK 2000 → 2600** )

"Second, I can take one Spellbook from my deck. I choose The Grand Spellbook Tower." She added the ejected card to her hand.

"Third, I get to special summon another high level Dark Spellcaster from deck. This time, I will summon Wheel of Prophecy."

A big muscular man with lion face appeared. He carried an oversized shield engraved with magical runes. (2700/1700/*8)

"There's more." She continued. "When Wheel was summoned by another Spellcaster, I can shuffle any banished Spellbook back to the deck. I choose to return my Spellbook of Fate." She put the spell back to her deck. "Also, any remaining Spellbooks will be sent to the graveyard." She inserted Spellbook Star Hall into her discard slot.

"I end my turn with a field spell." Dianne opened her field slot. "I play The Grand Spellbook Tower."

The room transformed again. There was a tall magical tower behind Dianne. It was surrounded by six floating objects, encircling the tower in orderly fashion.

"Your turn, Mr. Dustyn." She smiled. "I hope I don't get carried away."

Clay stared at four strong monsters on opposite side. It was an intimidating field situation. But, he absolutely preferred this over triple Skull Servants with 10000 ATK.

He drew a card and looked at it. _Maxx C_.

 _Might come in handy._ He thought.

"I activate Golem Sentry's effect," said Clay. "Once per turn, I can change Golem Sentry to facedown defense position."

Both Golems turned into horizontal cards.

"And I flip summon both of them."

The Golems revealed themselves again. (800/1800/*4)

"When this card is flip summoned, I can return a monster on your side to the hand." Clay considered his targets. "I choose Wheel of Prophecy and Prophecy Destroyer."

"Very well…" Dianne added both Prophecy cards to her hand. Both monsters vanished from the field.

"Next, I overlay both Golem Sentry." Clay declared. A giant vortex appeared under his monsters. Both Golems transformed into ray of light before entering the swirling vortex. "Xyz summon, Fairy King Albverdich!"

Clay watched as a figure rose from the vortex. It was a wise looking elf wearing something that looked like ceremonial robe. He had long white hair that further accentuated his regal presence. There were two orbs of light revolving around him. (2300/1400/R4)

"I activate Albverdich's effect." Clay continued. "By detaching one Xyz material, all monsters other than Earth monsters will lose 500 ATK."

One orb revolving the elf disappeared. Two sprouts of plant were manifested on the ground. They rapidly grew into thin vines that wrapped themselves on both sorcerers, restricting their movements.

Reaper of Prophecy ( **ATK 2600 → 2100** )

Apprentice Illusion Magician ( **ATK 2000 → 1500** )

"Not bad." Dianne commented.

Clay took out one card from his discard slot. "I banish Mathematician to summon Gigantes."

A giant ogre leaped from the portal. There was a small horn on its forehead. It let out a huge battle roar. (1900/1300/*4)

Clay pointed at the witch. "Gigantes, attack Illusion Magician!"

The ogre charged forward and unleashed a strong jab at the witch. She attempted to block the attack with her staff. She took the impact and disappeared. ( **LP 8000 → 7600** )

"Fairy King Albverdich, it's your turn now."

The elf gestured toward the Reaper. The vines binding the Reaper grew larger. The poor sorcerer struggled as the plant continued to squeeze him harder. Eventually, the Reaper got swallowed completely and vanished. ( **LP 7600 → 7400** )

Clay took one of his remaining three cards from his hand. "I set a card. My turn is over." One facedown card appeared behind Gigantes.

 **[Clay: 7000] - Vs - [Dianne: 7400]**

"I'm impressed you could eliminate all my monsters in single turn." Dianne said as she made two draws.

"Well, I was enrolled in Duel Academy." Clay admitted.

"I wish there were official schools for ESP development." Dianne sigh. "People often see us as either charlatan or crazy members of society. It would be nice if everyone acknowledge our existence more."

 _Speaking of crazy. A doctor gave me referral to psychiatrist yesterday._ Clay remembered.

"It seems you had it rough, Miss Dianne." He tried to empathize.

"I appreciate your concern, Mr. Dustyn. You're a fine gentleman." Dianne said. "Anyway, it's my turn now." She took a moment to consider. "I'm using my field spell's effect to return Spellbook Star Hall in my graveyard to the bottom of my deck."

The floating objects around the tower were glowing with beautiful colors. She placed the card carefully to her deck.

"By doing so, I get to draw once more." She made a draw.

She examined all five cards in her hand. Prophecy Destroyer, Wheel of Prophecy, Magical Stone Excavation, Spellbook of the Master, and Spellbook of Power.

"I play this spell card, Magical Stone Excavation. I shall discard Prophecy Destroyer and Wheel of Prophecy to add Spellbook of Secrets to my hand."

She discarded both Prophecy cards. Then, a card slipped out automatically from her discard slot.

 _The Devil is coming again._ Clay frowned. _I thought my plan to bounce it last turn was foolproof. I suppose she was right. I'm a Fool._

Dianne gazed at her cards. She felt uneasy again as another vision appeared before her mind's eye.

She saw something that looked like a large pitch black container. At a glance, she thought it was a cage. After taking a closer look, the place felt more like a prison. The prison didn't seem to be empty. She could sense someone was inside. There was a creature surrounded by devilish aura. The creature was bound by multiple chains.

 ** _'Mind your business, woman…'_**

Dianne heard the voice again. This time, she was dead sure that the input was coming from other entity. Somewhere really close. She was determined to unmask the truth.

"I play Spellbook of Secrets." Dianne inserted the card. _Reveal yourself._ She challenged the entity.

She began to concentrate on her third eye chakra. She visualized her field of awareness to expand more and more until it fully encompassed the entire room. Unfortunately, in doing so, she had to exert some of her mental energy.

She finally pinpointed the source of energetic disturbance. Her attention now focused on the man in front of him. Clay was standing alone by himself. But, she could perceive a dark silhouette behind him. _Negative entity attachment._ She thought. _A very dark one at that._

"Mr. Dustyn…" She thought about her next words carefully. Years of experience working in this industry had taught her that nobody liked to be told they were possessed. People tended to react negatively to the news. Often resulted in denial or backlash.

"I afraid I just encountered something… unfortunate." She finally said.

"What do you mean?" Clay asked.

"I have a proposal, Mr. Dustyn." She said calmly. "I believe it will be better if we focus on finishing our duel first. After that, I shall tell you everything you need to know… properly."

"Fine by me." He said.

"Very well, I shall end this quickly." Dianne continued. "I use Spellbook of Secrets to add Spellbook of Life."

She quickly took the card. She received another vision once more. She saw a group of people wearing similar white robes. It seemed like they were doing some kind of ritual. Together, they formed a circle and chanted some prayers.

 _'All hail our Goddess…'_

 _'Bestow your salvation…'_

 _'Banish Garlandolf…'_

Dianne decided to keep this information for later. She proceeded to play her next card. "I'm using Spellbook of Life. By banishing a Spellcaster in the graveyard and revealing one Spellbook in my hand, I can revive Reaper of Prophecy." She took out Magician of Prophecy from her discard slot. And then, she revealed Spellbook of Power from her hand.

"Hold on!" Clay interrupted. He quickly discard a monster from his hand. "I activate Maxx C from my hand. This turn, I get to draw one card each time you special summon a monster."

Dianne smiled. "Unfortunately, that won't be enough to stop me from going all out." She put Reaper card on her Disk. "I summon Reaper of Prophecy!"

The Reaper returned once more. ( **ATK 2000 → 2600** )

Clay made a draw.

"That means I get to apply all Reaper's effect again." She continued. "I choose to add Spellbook of Wisdom and special summon Endymion, the Master Magician."

A new sorcerer with majestic black suit appeared. He carried some kind of big ring on his back. Clay immediately thought this monster looked pretty threatening. (2700/1700/*7)

Clay drew a card.

"Next, I banish Spellbook Library of Crescent, Spellbook of Knowledge, and Spellbook Library of Heliosphere to summon the Devil again."

Prophecy Destroyer appeared beside Endymion. (ATK 2500)

Clay drew once more.

Dianne closed her eyes. Another recording of past event began to play inside her mind. She saw the aftermath of Shadow Duel. Phantom was defeated. And then, Clay was hypnotized by demonic influence. The seal was broken, releasing a demonic being. The demon attempted to roam free, but couldn't because he lacked a vessel. He immediately used Clay as a host, while slowly syphoning his life force in the process.

Dianne was hugely disturbed by this revelation. She became even more determined to finish the duel faster in order to pass this urgent information sooner.

"I play Spellbook of Power." She declared. "This card increases Endymion's ATK by 1000 points until the End Phase."

Endymion was glowing with red aura. ( **ATK 2700 → 3700** )

"I have more." Dianne played another card. "I use Spellbook of the Master. This card can be used to replicate one Spellbook effect in my graveyard. But first, I must reveal one Spellbook from my hand." She showed her Spellbook of Wisdom. "I replicate Spellbook of Power to increase Reaper's ATK points."

Reaper was surrounded with red aura as well. ( **ATK 2600 → 3600** )

"I might not have studied in Duel Academy. But, I'm perfectly aware what Gigantes does." Dianne discarded Spellbook of Wisdom. "I use Endymion's effect to destroy Gigantes!"

Endymion pointed his staff at Gigantes. He launched a sphere of energy toward the ogre. Gigantes braced itself as the projectile became closer.

Clay quickly pressed a button. "I activate my trap, Magnet Force. Rock-type monsters on the field are immune to monster's effect this turn."

A force field enveloped Gigantes, shielding it from the magic blast.

Dianne had already done her mental math. She was certain she would win this turn. There was no backrow on opposite side. Clay would not have enough Life Points to survive the attack.

"Battle Phase." She declared. "Endymion will attack Fairy King Albverdich."

Endymion aimed his magic toward the elf king. Albverdich took the blast and vanished. ( **LP 7000 → 5600** )

"Spellbook of Power has additional effect." She explained. "I can add a Spellbook from my deck each time my monster defeats something in battle. I'll go with Spellbook Star Hall." A card slipped out of her deck.

As soon she touched the card, another vision flashed before her. A giant hall surrounded with beautiful light. The white interior made this place looked almost heavenly. She could see a man and woman standing at the center. They appeared to be dueling.

 _'I am not giving up on Garlandolf.' The man shouted._

 _'You are blinded by the shadow.' The woman gave stern reply. 'It is clear that Garlandolf had succeeded in deceiving your conscience.'_

 _'You're wrong! I understand his true feeling.'_

 _'He clouded your judgment with trickery. If you insist on aligning yourself with shadow, then I shall banish shadow with light!' The woman played a card. 'Ritual of Grace!'_

Dianne gasped. There was no mistake. It was certainly a glimpse of the future. A future vision. She never experienced such thing before. It simply was not her specialty. She didn't believe in fate and destiny. She was a firm believer that the future was not set in stone. Normally, her belief system should block any kind of future prediction from entering her mental space. To receive a future vision now was simply illogical.

She continued her Battle Phase. "My Reaper shall attack Gigantes now. Go forth, Oblivion Vortex!"

The Reaper held his deadly scythe high and rotated it a few times. Then he slammed it hard on the floor, creating huge spark of magical energy that travelled toward the ogre. Gigantes suffered the violent impact before shattering to pieces. ( **LP 5600 → 3900** )

"I'm using Spellbook of Power's effect to add Spellbook of Miracles." She said as she took the card.

"I activate Gigantes's effect!" Clay shouted. "All spell and trap cards on the field will be destroyed."

Both Guarded Treasure and The Grand Spellbook Tower were destroyed. The magical tower behind Dianne disappeared. The room returned to its original state.

"Unfortunately, you just triggered my field effect." Dianne smiled. "Since the Tower was destroyed, now I can special summon a Spellcaster from my deck." She placed a monster card on her Disk. "Meet Justice of Prophecy."

New female spellcaster came from the portal. She wore green robe along with ceremonial hat. She carried a mace and short sword on both hands. (1600/800/*3)

"It's over," said Dianne.

"Hold on!" Clay interrupted. "You just special summoned a monster. That means I get to draw a card." He pulled the top card of his deck. It was Swift Scarecrow.

"The Devil and Justice will attack you directly." She declared. Both monsters started to move forward.

"I discard Swift Scarecrow to end the Battle Phase!" Clay discarded the monster in a hurry. Both Prophecy immediately halted their advance.

"That's…" Dianne became speechless. "There's no way…"

"That was a close one." Clay was relieved he could survive the onslaught. "I'm glad I keep few hand traps handy."

Dianne regained her composure. "In that case, I shall move to my End Phase. Because I played Spellbook card this turn, I can banish Justice of Prophecy to add one high level Spellcaster and a Spellbook from my deck." She put Justice card into her pocket. The female spellcaster vanished. "I'll take High Priestess of Prophecy and Spellbook of Fate." Two cards slipped out of her deck. She added them to her hand.

In doing so, she was confronted by another vision.

There was a woman wearing familiar white robe. She wore a tribal headdress adorned with red and white feathers. Dianne could felt strong spiritual power coming from this woman. She was walking inside an underground cave, carrying a lantern.

Dianne couldn't tell whether the event she just witnessed was a recording of the past or future. But, she assumed this woman would have some significance later. Or perhaps, it was a metaphor containing bad omen.

"I… I end my turn." She said. The ATK bonus from Spellbook of Power expired. Both Endymion and Reaper returned to their previous ATK points.

Clay made a draw. "My turn." He looked at five cards in his hand. _It's my turn to go all out._ He thought.

"I banish two Golem Sentry in my graveyard." He put both cards into his shirt pocket. "Special summon, Gaia Plate the Earth Giant!"

A big portal opened on the floor. Giant golem rose from the opening. Its body was made entirely of stone. (2800/1000/*8)

"I have more." He purposely imitated what Dianne had said. "Just a friendly reminder, I have exactly five Earth monsters in graveyard right now. That means I'm allowed to summon someone special." He took a card from his hand. "I summon Grandsoil the Elemental Lord."

Another gigantic monster appeared beside the golem. The monster was covered by thick armor from head to toe. At a glance, it looked like a machine made for war. An intimidating threat on the battlefield. (2800/2200/*8)

"When Grandsoil is summoned, I can revive any monster from either player's graveyard." He considered his options. "I choose to summon Wheel of Prophecy."

Wheel of Prophecy appeared on his side of the field. (ATK 2700)

"Hmm, that was unexpected." Dianne commented.

"I _still_ have more." Clay continued. "I banish Maxx C, Swift Scarecrow, and Albverdich to summon Block Dragon!" He placed another monster on his Disk.

The monster that appeared didn't have any intimidating presence whatsoever. It was just plastic blocks combined together to resemble a dragon. (2500/3000/*8)

"As long as Block Dragon is on my side…" He explained. "All Rock-type monsters cannot be destroyed by card effect."

"I proceed to Battle Phase." Clay continued. "All monsters that battle with Gaia Plate will lose half of their ATK and DEF." He pointed at Endymion. "Gaia Plate, destroy Endymion!"

The golem slammed its giant fist on the sorcerer. Endymion immediately shattered to pieces. ( **LP 7400 → 5950** )

"Next, Grandsoil will attack Reaper of Prophecy."

Grandsoil grabbed the Reaper with both hands, lifting him above the floor. The Reaper attempted to break free from the clutch. Grandsoil landed the final blow by smashing its target to the floor violently. The Reaper disappeared from the field after the impact. ( **LP 5950 → 5750** )

"Wheel, it's your turn. Go attack Prophecy Destroyer!"

The Wheel threw his shield like a boomerang toward the target. The shield hit the Devil, completely destroying the target before returning back to its wielder. ( **LP 5750 → 5550** )

Clay pointed at his opponent. "Finally, Block Dragon will attack you directly."

Dianne watched as the toy dragon flew toward her. It did a light headbutt, followed by a quick U-turn tail slap to the face. ( **LP 5550 → 3050** )

Clay was satisfied with current situation. He stared at his remaining two cards, Quaking Mirror Force and Heavy Storm Duster. _Block Dragon will protect my Rock monsters from destruction effect. Quaking Mirror Force will shut down her monsters from attacking. If she sets some backrow, I can destroy them easily with Heavy Storm Duster._ He smirked. _I've got this duel in the bag._

"I set two cards." Two facedown cards appeared in front of him. "My turn is done."

 **[Clay: 3900] - Vs - [Dianne: 3050]**

Dianne drew a card. _Temperance of Prophecy._

She focused on her mind's eye as another future event took place inside her mental space. There was a duel. Two men facing each other. The man on the right was a stranger. But, she recognized the left one. Clay was dueling.

 _'It's futile.' The stranger said._

 _'I won't… surrender Garlandolf to you.' Clay said weakly._

 _'Garlandolf needs a strong vessel. I can grant him with one.' The other man said._

 _'Shut up! He is not a toy for you to play with.' Clay retorted. He quickly play a spell. 'I activate Ritual of Destruction!'_

Dianne finally had the big picture of what was happening. She understood now. She received these future visions from the Universe because she would need this information.

She put Temperance on the Disk. "I summon Temperance of Prophecy."

A hooded figure appeared. He held a pair of chalices with each hand. Both chalices were connected by some sort of thin chain. (1000/1000/*3)

"I play Spellbook of Fate." She said. "I banish Spellbook of Wisdom, Spellbook of Secrets, and Spellbook of the Master." Three cards slipped out of her discard slot. "In return, I can banish one card on the field. Say goodbye to your toy dragon."

Block Dragon disappeared from the field.

"I don't get it, Miss Dianne." He said. "Why didn't you target Gaia Plate or Grandsoil instead?"

"Sometimes 'fate' works in mysterious way." She smiled. "I just learned that today."

"Pardon?" He said, confused.

"I use Temperance's ability." She declared. "Because I played a Spellbook this turn, I can release Temperance to special summon high level Spellcaster from my deck." The hooded man was swallowed by orb of light then vanished.

"A fitting end for the Fool's Journey…" She said as she revealed a monster card. "The final arcana, the World… you're a Fool and the World is where your path ends. Perhaps this is fate…"

She placed the card on her Disk. "Meet World of Prophecy!"

Clay watched as bright light radiated across the entire room. He closed his eyes to shield himself from the blinding radiance. When he thought the chaos was over, he opened his eyes tentatively and witnessed a majestic being covered by heavenly robes and angelic wings. (2900/2400/*9)

"I'm using World's effect." She declared. "First, I retrieve two Spellbooks from my graveyard." She took Spellbook of Power and Spellbook of Eternity. "Then, if I can reveal four Spellbooks with different names…" She showed her Power, Eternity, Miracles, and Star Hall. "…All other cards on the field shall be destroyed."

"No way!" said Clay.

The World began to glow brightly again. All of a sudden, multiple beams of light came from above. Gaia Plate, Grandsoil, Wheel of Prophecy, and two facedown cards were obliterated from sight.

"The final nail in the coffin." She inserted a spell card. "I play Spellbook of Power to increase World's ATK points."

( **ATK 2900 → 3900** )

Clay gulped. The duel was pretty much over at this point. He had both empty field and empty hand.

Dianne pointed at her opponent. "Direct attack!"

The World spread all his angelic wings. There was swirling of light energy concentrated at the front. The light grew bigger before it launched itself toward the target. Clay closed his eyes as the light pierced him with its radiance. ( **LP 3900 → 0** )

All holographic images vanished slowly, leaving behind both duelist in the room. Dianne walked forward few steps.

"As you requested," said Dianne. "I shall go straight to the main point."

"Mr. Dustyn… right now you are being used as a host. Involuntary host for a demonic entity. I'm also given a name."

She took a deep breath before continuing.

"Garlandolf."

* * *

( **A/N:** I avoid using the word "psychic" in this chapter because "psychic" has its own special meaning in 5D's universe. So, I replace it with other words like "intuitive" and "ESP". Also, the correct card name is supposed to be Maxx "C" not Maxx C. I didn't use the quotation marks because they would mess with the narrative.

I hope you guys enjoy the duel. It took me a lot of time and effort to finish this. See you on next chapter!)


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